Chapter Twenty: The Cunning Ghost, Old Fox, and Moonlight Immortal
Yang Yanlang walked with his hands clasped behind his back, speaking grandly.
“I’ve only heard tales of the Old Mountain Demon, never seen it myself. It was from my nephew’s description that I noted a resemblance in manner of speech, which led me to speculate.”
After a brief consideration, the general continued, “It’s said that mountains abound with strange spirits, and there are many such tales; among them, the Old Mountain Demon is the most common. Allegedly, the old apes of the mountains are intelligent, capable of learning human speech and customs. If one survives for thirty years and often keeps company with people, it gains awareness, loses its long tail, and understands human language, able to work alongside humans. However, at that stage, the old ape cannot speak nor walk upright. With further guidance and a stroke of fortune, it may attain true transformation: its legs merge into one, it stands on a single foot, speaks like a human, and possesses the power to beguile the human eye—thus becoming the Old Mountain Demon.”
Such strange accounts left the young man dazed, as if listening to tales of spirits from a previous life.
In his former life, Zhong Ming often heard elders recount stories of mountain spirits: the most common being the fox spirit turning into a seductive woman to ensnare scholars, or yellow-skinned creatures causing havoc among villagers. He had never heard of the Old Mountain Demon, yet its story sounded much like those old legends.
It seemed this era held many similarities with his past, especially regarding ghosts and spirits.
After listening, the youth nodded, “Based on Uncle’s description, what I encountered must have been the Old Mountain Demon. It stood on a single foot, its long face somewhat resembling that of a monkey, though much more ferocious.”
Yang Yanlang changed the topic, “The Old Mountain Demon is a spirit fond of human habitation and generally amicable; it shouldn’t harm people without reason. Perhaps you provoked it somehow?”
“I cannot say for sure. I seldom venture into the wild hills and had never seen the Old Mountain Demon before.”
Zhong Ming pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to the stone-locked mandarin ducks in his arms; Yang Yanlang’s eyes followed.
Though neither spoke, their thoughts were aligned.
With a sigh, the youth said, “Now that I recall, the Old Mountain Demon accused me of recklessness. Perhaps it merely wished to hand me the stone-locked mandarin ducks, but in my fright, I misunderstood.”
Yang Yanlang frowned, “This is troublesome. You injured it, and I fear you may have angered such a spirit. They always possess ways to bewilder people and are vengeful by nature. Though transformed, they are still beasts and lack true humanity. You must be cautious in the coming days.”
The general’s tone revealed his lack of fondness for spirits and immortals.
Zhong Ming could only nod in agreement.
By then, the pair had passed through the village and arrived at the youth’s low, fenced cottage.
Inside, the oil lamp was lit. Two toothless boys carried sacks of rice out, fulfilling Zhong Ming’s order to prepare white rice.
Upon seeing Zhong Ming and Yang Yanlang, the boys hurriedly knelt; Yang Yanlang smiled and gestured for them to rise, a gust of wind lifting them. “Go on with your tasks. I’m merely here to observe; no need for formality.”
The boys quickly thanked the general, bade Zhong Ming farewell, and the ragged youth laughed, “Hurry along, or you’ll be punished for delaying the banquet.”
The jest sent the boys scurrying away, anxious and not daring to pause.
The oil lamp still burned inside. Zhong Ming stepped in, first placing the stone-locked mandarin ducks under the bed, then opened the brocade box for a glance. The loose silver was gone, taken by Liang Yu to buy wine and food, leaving only ten gold ingots.
With Liang Yu handling matters, there was nothing to worry about, so the youth thought no more of it.
Yang Yanlang followed Zhong Ming into the small house, surveying it with a sigh, “You’ve suffered, nephew, living in such a humble abode. Surely the winter winds leak through?”
“It’s nothing serious. I use the stove for warmth in winter, and the chimney disperses the smoke, so I’m neither poisoned nor cold. It’s quite adequate.”
Yang Yanlang was not entirely satisfied. “You should finish your affairs quickly and follow your uncle into the city. It may not be as grand as Luoyang, but our residence has four courtyards, and you’ll not be deprived.”
The youth chuckled. Only the most notable families in this border town could afford such homes. The general was indeed a nobleman; to him, only the General’s Mansion was truly majestic.
After tidying up, the youth extinguished the lamp. “Let’s wait at Uncle Sun’s house. The banquet should soon begin.”
The general nodded, already planning to send the boy supplies tomorrow, unwilling to let him suffer further.
Uncle and nephew set off again. On the return, the village was bustling; every household was busy cooking, and the aroma of rice drifted throughout Mud Village.
A man standing in a courtyard spotted Zhong Ming and called out, “Mr. Zhong!” On seeing Yang Yanlang, he tried to kneel.
Yang Yanlang patiently and repeatedly helped them up.
The general’s temper might be a bit fiery and his speech blunt, yet he was indeed a benevolent official who cherished the people.
Walking at leisure, Zhong Ming seized the chance to ask the questions weighing on his mind.
He was most curious about the immortal he had seen in the hall earlier, who seemed similar to the Old Mountain Demon in his beguiling abilities. He asked, “Uncle, who was the immortal you faced today in the hall? His methods seemed akin to those of the Old Mountain Demon, able to confound minds.”
Yang Yanlang laughed coldly, “The sly demon and the old fox, Moon Immortal—merely a group of false immortals skilled in illusion, lacking any true celestial aura. The one I faced today was a minor immortal official, not even of recognized rank. My Silver Dragon Spear could have easily taken his head; he’s hardly worthy of the title ‘immortal.’”
This tale was long, and Yang Yanlang had to begin with the celestial anomaly three years ago.
Three years prior, the sky split for over a month, and many divine dwellings descended through the cracks, causing upheaval in this era.
The new Tang emperor, Li Yuan, was among the most fortunate, gaining the aid of the Jade Capital above the northern wild seas. The current master of Jade Capital, Lady Echan, arrived in Luoyang and declared to the world, “Destiny favors you; I will help you become emperor!”
At this, the general shook his head and sneered, “What is destiny, but a country won through the blood of countless soldiers? Echan merely mouthed promises and forged a few sets of armor.”
Jade Capital provided the new Tang with seventy thousand sets of miraculous armor and reformed Tang blades, forming the invincible Thirteen Cavalry of the new Tang.
Though called thirteen types of treasured armor, only seven were truly effective; the other six were mere burdens—neither useful nor easy to discard.
For example, the horse armor, crafted to resemble a horse, could be activated without mounting a steed, running several times faster than ordinary horses. But it required immense internal energy, unusable by ordinary people—only martial heroes like the general could wield it, making it flashy but impractical.
Some armor was truly powerful, like the Light Cavalry, able to ride three days and nights without fatigue, or the Black Hammer Cavalry, possessing immense strength and able to break mountains.
The most extraordinary was the Fine-Scale Cavalry, whose armor allowed all riders to sense their commander’s orders, united as one. With such magical armor, the Fine-Scale Cavalry was invincible, the foremost light cavalry among the Thirteen.
Since the Jade Capital's aid, Tang forces had been unstoppable, with several key battles assisted by Jade Capital immortals.
But their so-called assistance amounted to nothing more than standing atop city walls or floating in the air to intimidate enemies; no one had ever seen an immortal directly change the course of battle.
Two years later, the new Tang had become the dominant power in the Central Plains, and Lady Echan again descended from Jade Capital to Luoyang. By then, Li Yuan was Emperor Tang Zhen.
This time, Lady Echan did not bring armor or weapons, but instead came to demand a title from the emperor.
Everyone knew Lady Echan had once said to the emperor, “Destiny favors you; I will help you become emperor!” Yet, few realized that when she returned to Luoyang, she also told him, “I am destiny; you must honor me!”
The youth was astonished, “How can they be so audacious?”
The general sneered, “There’s greater audacity yet to come. That’s why I say Jade Capital is full of fame-seekers.”
Following Lady Echan’s demand, the new Tang was forced to sign the ‘Eighteen Divisions of Immortal and Mortal’ treaty. One clause required the establishment of the office of Immortal Official, divided into nine ranks. The Pure Moon Immortal Official, of the highest rank, was half a rank above the top Tang military commander.
In the new Tang, military officials outranked civil ones by half a rank; this was the court’s rule. Immortal Officials, in turn, were half a rank above military officials, meaning they outranked civil officials by a whole rank—a truly shocking arrangement.
The Pure Moon Immortal Official was thus second only to the emperor.
The youth couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle, who is the current Pure Moon Immortal Official? Is it Lady Echan herself?”
The general shook his head, “Echan is cunning and ambitious; she would never settle for being subordinate. The appointment is not yet decided, but I doubt it will be her.”
It was clear that Jade Capital’s immortals now participated openly in governance, Immortal Officials sharing court with civil and military officials, able to advise and oversee temple construction.
The general sighed, “His Majesty has been bewitched by these spirits, building excessive shrines. Because I opposed it, my rank was stripped away.”
Unwittingly, the youth learned the reason for the general’s demotion, and was greatly astonished.
From what the general described, the court was in chaos. The earlier edict for ‘exceptional civil appointments’ had already strained relations between civil and military officials, with open and covert rivalry. Now, with Immortal Officials entering politics, three factions would surely stir the court into turmoil.
“But the immortal I saw today was not particularly powerful. Uncle handled him with ease. Why are they granted such authority?”
The youth’s question drew a faint smile from the general. In a ringing voice, he replied, “That immortal official was weak. I have faced other immortals from divine residences and know their arts well.”
“These so-called immortals and their magic are nothing more than—”
Before the general could finish, his gaze suddenly froze, staring into the distance in surprise. After confirming, his expression darkened as he fixed his eyes on the figure by the railing, and said, “Why is he here?”